Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur heaped lavish praise on his batsman Asad Shafiq and also compared him with India's legend Sachin Tendulkar. Shafiq, 30, posted a crucial century in the fourth Test against England at The Oval, a result that secured Pakistan a historic 2-2 draw and catapulted them to the top of the ICC's rankings for the first time. Arthur, who has coached Australia and South Africa in the past, has called Shafiq Pakistan's best batsman and said that the diminutive right-hander is so technically correct that he reminds him of Tendulkar.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's captaincy in the 50-overs format could be on the line when a joint meeting of the national selection committee and advisory board of the Pakistan Cricket Board is held on Monday in Lahore.
Pakistan selectors rule out T20 role for Babar, Rizwan and Afridi in near future
Pakistan captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie will no longer have a say in selection matters after the PCB selectors cut down their powers, according to a source.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reorganized its selection committee by doing away with the chairman's post and giving powers to the selectors to pick the captain and head coach of the national team.
Current senior selector Aaqib Javed and former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq are in fray to replace Gary Kirsten as Pakistan's new white ball coach after the former Proteas batter stepped down
Pakistan's Shan Masood is likely to be retained captain for the upcoming home Test series against England, while Babar Azam is also assured of keeping his white-ball captaincy when the team flies to Australia and South Africa later this year.
Former captain Babar Azam, pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah returned to the Pakistan team for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia.
Pakistan red-ball coach Jason Gillespie on Wednesday confirmed the PCB's decision to strip him of powers in selection matters, much against the assurance of a free-hand that he was promised of while taking charge of the team.
Pakistan's new white-ball captain Muhammad Rizwan, after initial reluctance, has agreed to the PCB's new selection policy and will not have any voting right in the short-listing of touring squads or the playing eleven, according to a source in the board.
Babar Azam lost his interest in captaining Pakistan's white ball teams after a critical report submitted by head coach Gary Kirsten to PCB.
Yousuf, who had been attached with the Pakistan Cricket Board in different roles since last year, was part of a broad-based national selection committee that includes two former Test players, head coaches, captains and an analyst, among others.
Amir, Imad recalled to Pakistan squad for NZ T20I series
A well-informed source close to Shaheen said that the bowler was upset that not even once the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi or the national selectors have spoken to him about their future plans as far as the captaincy or appointment of coaches is concerned.
Statistical highlights from the Pakistan vs Zimbabwe World Cup match played in Pallekele on Monday.
Bilal Asif took five wickets and made a handy contribution with the bat as Pakistan cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe to complete a 2-1 series win on Monday.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test match between England and Pakistan in Manchester, on Thursday.
Asad Shafiq's seventh hundred and a belligerent 96 from Sarfraz Ahmed helped give Pakistan a sizeable lead against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the opening Test at Galle on Saturday.
Pakistan head coach and outgoing chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has tried to justify the axing of senior players Asad Shafiq, Muhammad Aamir and Shoaib Malik for the tour of New Zealand.
Photos from Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test match between Australia and Pakistan, played at the MCG on Tuesday
The second Test between India and Bangladesh at Kolkata's Eden Gardens will be the first day-night Test on Indian soil, making India the seventh country to host a day-night Test.
Asad Shafiq and Younus Khan made gritty centuries to lift Pakistan to 340 for six as England's bowlers toiled in perfect batting conditions on the second day of the final Test at The Oval on Friday.
Opening batsman Khurram Manzoor, who has not played for Pakistan's Test team for three and a half years, is back in the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe that starts this month.
Pakistan completed a crushing innings and 44-run victory over Bangladesh on the fourth morning on Monday
Babar capitalised on an early reprieve to score a career-best 143 not out when bad light forced early stumps with Pakistan 109 ahead with seven wickets remaining.
Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq made fine centuries as Pakistan recovered from a poor start to reach 253 for five on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Thursday.
An unbeaten 101-run stand for the fifth wicket between Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq kept Pakistan alive in the first Test as they reached 183 for four at the close of play on day three against South Africa at the Wanderers.
Opener Mohammad Hafeez missed out on a maiden double century but Pakistan continued to march towards a mammoth first innings total on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Kevin Pietersen's second successive century led England to a four-wicket victory over Pakistan and a series whitewash after the fourth and final one-day international in Dubai on Tuesday.
Azhar Ali smashed a second century in successive matches on Wednesday to leave the final Test between Pakistan against Sri Lanka poised for an intriguing finish. His 136 enabled Pakistan wriggled out of a tight corner and post 299-8 in their second innings by stumps on the fourth day in Pallekele.
Sri Lanka claimed the extra half-hour at the end of the fourth day to complete a 209-run rout of Pakistan in the first Test on Monday. The visitors, chasing an unlikely victory target of 510, were bowled out for 300.
Younis Khan smashed an unbeaten double hundred and Asad Shafiq helped himself to his maiden Test century before regular strikes put Pakistan on course for a win in the first Test against Bangladesh on Sunday.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has been taken to hospital and did not take the field on day four of the second Test against Australia after taking a blow to the helmet.
Captain Stuart Broad and Jade Dernbech held their nerve in the closing overs to bowl England to a five-run victory and a 2-1 series win over Pakistan in the final Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Younis, who became the first Pakistan player to complete 10,000 Test runs, made 58 while Azam stroked 72 in dominating a 131-run third-wicket partnership which gave the tourists an upper hand into the final session of the day.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq became the oldest player to score a Test century for 82 years, when he scored an unbeaten 110 runs against England at Lord's on Thursday. Pakistan were 282 for 6 at stumps on the opening day of the first Test in a four-match series.
England's Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann were the scourge of Pakistan as they bagged six wickets to reduce the hosts to 256 for 7 on the first day of the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Younus Khan closed in on a century after Mohammad Hafeez hit a career-best 143 as Pakistan strengthened their grip on the first Test against Bangladesh on Saturday.
Misbah-ul-Haq's steady hand and some lusty blows from Shahid Afridi secured Pakistan's five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the lone Twenty20 International at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium, on Friday.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Monday patted his teammates for their all-round show in the seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe to qualify for the quarter-finals of the cricket World Cup.
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